Everywhere you turn in the familiar school halls, you see her. Whether it’s a name or photograph in the paper, or actually her in the flesh, senior Bridgette Matula is definitely “all over the place.”

“The best part of my high school experience would ultimately have to be being so involved in many different clubs,” Matula said. “Because of this, I have been able to build friendships with so many different people – each one impacting me in some way.”

One pressing deadline for Matula as Highstepper major is this weekend’s 7th Annual Spring Show. The show starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in the high school gym; admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children.

“If I absolutely had to pick one single activity that has been the best experience of mine through high school – I’d say being a Highstepper,” Matula said.

A Highstepper all four years, she served her first year on spirit committee, two years as an officer lieutenant, and earned the top rank of major for her final year on the team. As major, she leads a large squad of about 30 girls.

“I am a very amiable person, so the most difficult part of being major for me would probably just be finding the right balance between taking charge, while also trying to ensure that I stay on everyone’s good side,” Matula said.

Bridgette’s desire to please presents a challenge at times, but it is not a weakness.

“Bridgette wants to make sure others around her are happy,” Journalism, Technology, and Social Studies teacher Julie Nichols said. “Striving for that can be tough on her, but she is just one of those people who truly cares about others.”

“Bridgette has grown as a leader each year,” former Highstepper Director Penny Armstrong said. “One of the main qualities that makes her a strong leader is that she leads how she would want to be led. Being an effective leader is certainly a skill that must be crafted and requires putting others before yourself.”

Not only does she lead the Highstepper organization, but has been involved in many other school activities and organizations.

“Bridgette clearly shines here because of her compassion for others, her drive to succeed, her abilities to lead and her willingness to work hard,” Nichols said.

Matula has experienced both great triumphs and setbacks in her high school experiences with writing. She has consistently ranked high at practice meets every year as a competitor, and has won gold medals in statewide Interscholastic League Press Conference and Texas Association of Journalism Educators clip contests. As a sophomore, she advanced to State for Feature Writing and placed 6th in the 2A division. But her junior and senior years led to disappointment: Even though she placed first at District, she did not advance; Saturday in the Regional Feature Writing competition, she won a fifth place medal – 2nd alternate to State.

“We are very proud of Bridgette’s many successes over the years, but also proud of how she has handled the disappointments and roadblocks she has met,” Bridgette’s mother, Ginger Matula said.

“The word that describes Bridgette most is happy,” senior classmate and fellow Highstepper officer Hailey Johnson said. “She always has a smile and never lets anything get her down for long. A quirk of hers is that she can make you smile too – even when you don’t want to.”

Part of the reason Bridgette enjoys performing (dancing, singing, and acting) so much is because she likes to entertain and bring joy to others.

“I love to make people happy, so getting to entertain others, get their mind off reality, make them smile and enjoy myself as I do it – there’s nothing better,” Matula said.

Matula intends to major in Speech Pathology, a field where she can work with and assist individuals through communication.

“The ultimate goal I have in life is to serve others as much as I possibly can, and I strongly believe that the career choice I have picked will definitely enable me to achieve that goal,” Matula said.

So as one door closes for her this spring, Bridgette Matula, quite the sentimentalist, has to say goodbye to her many organizations and friends she has grown close to over the years. The first of these goodbyes will take place at the Spring Show.

“April 28th will be my last time to officially perform on that gym floor alongside all of my ‘sisters’ and I am going to cherish every second of it,” Matula said.